PRESCHOOL CHILD’S MOTHER’S PARENTING PRACTICES AND ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT WITH CHILD’S DIGITALLY-BASED ACTIVITY IN RELATION TO CHILD’S PROSOCIAL OR PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2018vol1.3237Keywords:
child’s digitally-based activity, behavior problems, mothers’ involvement, parenting practices, preschool children, prosocial behaviorAbstract
The aim of this research was to examine preschool children’s prosocial behavior as well as internalizing and externalizing problems in relation to their mothers’ parenting practices and active involvement with their child in the use of various digital technologies (television, computer, telephone, play stations), time spent and content of the child’s activities. Participating in the research were the mothers of 120 preschool children, aged 5 – 6 years old, 50 girls and 70 boys. Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000), prosocial behavior scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), Block‘s Child Rearing Practices Report (Block, 1981), as adapted by Aunolo and Nurmi (Aunola & Nurmi, 2004) and also answered questions regarding the child’s time spent with digital technologies, the content of their activity (drawing, puzzles, games, etc.), and the mother’s degree of active involvement with her child during these activities. Results showed that mother’s active involvement with child’s digitally-based activity was associated with emotionally warm parenting, as well as with higher child’s prosocial behavior ratings. Regression analysis showed that lover mother’s involvement and punishment orientation in parenting was predictive of externalizing behavior ratings for boys. Results are discussed in relation to practical implications for parent-child relationships.References
Achenbach, T.M., & Rescorla, L.A. (2000). Manual for the ASEBA Preschool Forms and Profiles. Burlington, VT: ASEBA.
Aunola, K., & Nurmi, J.E. (2004). Maternal affection moderates the impact of psychological control on a child’s math performance. Developmental Psychology, 40, 965–978.
Block, J. H. (1981). The Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR): A set of Q items for the description of parental socialization attitudes and values. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Institute of Human Development.
Bremer, J. (2005). The internet and children: advantages and disadvantages. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic in North America, 14, 405–428.
Fearon, R. P., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Lapsley, A., & Roisman, G. I. (2010). The significance of insecure attachment and disorganization in the development of children’s externalizing behavior: A meta-analytic study. Child Development, 81, 435–456.
Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A Research Note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581-586.
Jackson, L.A., Eye, A., Fitzgerald, H.E., Witt, E.A., Zhao, Y. (2011). Internet use, videogame playing and cell phone use as predictors of children’s body mass index (BMI), body weight, academic performance, and social and overall self-esteem. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 599–604.
Landy, S. (2009). Pathways to Competence. Encouraging Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Young Children. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Baltimore, Maryland.
Lee, S.J. (2013). Parental restrictive mediation of children’s internet use: Effective for what and for whom? New Media & Society, 15, 466–481.
Li, X., Atkins, M.S., Stanton, B. (2006). Effects of home and school computer use on school readiness and cognitive development among head start children: a randomized controlled pilot trial. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 52, 239–263.
Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E.J. (2008). Parental mediation of children’s internet use. Journal of Broadcast & Electronic Media, 52, 581–599.
Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A., & Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the Internet: The perspective of European children. LSE, London: EU Kids Online.
Nathanson, A. I. (1999). Identifying and explaining the relationship between parental mediation and children's aggression. Communication Research, 26(2), 124—143.
Nikken, P., & de Haan, J. (2015). Guiding young children’s internet use at home: Problems that parents experience in their parental mediation and the need for parenting support. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 9(1), article 3. doi: 10.5817/CP2015-1-3
Nikken, P., & Jansz, J. (2006). Parental mediation of children's video game playing: A comparison of the reports by parents and children. Learning, Media & Technology, 31, 181—202.
Ofcom (2017). Children and parents: Media use and attitudes report. London, UK: Ofcom
Sebre, S., Jusiene, R., Dapkevice, E., Skreitule-Pikse, I., & Bieliauskaite, R. (2014). Parenting dimensions in relation to preschoolers’ behavior problems in Latvia and Lithuania. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 39(5), 458-466.
Subrahmanyam, K., Kraut, R., Greenfield, P.M., & Gross, E.F. (2000). The impact of home computer use on children’s activities and development. Future Child, 10, 123–144.
Van den Bulck, J., & Van den Bergh, B. (2000). The influence of perceived parental guidance patterns on children’s media use: gender differences and media displacement. Journal of Broadcast & Electronic Media, 44, 329–348.
Wagner, N.J., Mills-Koonce, W.R., Willoughby, M.T., Zvara, B., & Cox, M.J. (2015). Family Life Project Key Investigators. Parenting and children's representations of family predict disruptive and callous-unemotional behaviors. Developmental Psychology, 51, 935-948.
Wu, C.S.T., Fowler, C., Lam, W.Y.Y., Wong, H.T., Wong, C.H.M., & Loke, A.Y. (2014). Parenting approaches and digital technology use of preschool age children in a Chinese community. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 40, 1-8.